Vehicles › Ford › Ford Focus
2008 Ford Focus
1 recall campaign and 222 complaints are on NHTSA's register for the 2008 Ford Focus; the recalls concern air bags.
The component named most often is electrical system: 170.6 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, close to the 142.9 per 1,000 across all 2008 model-year vehicles and against 190.7 per 1,000 for the Ford Focus line as a whole.
That is fewer than the average of 763.3 complaints per model year across the 20 Ford Focus model years on this register; 18 complaints reported a crash and 0 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2014 (36); the most recent in the file is dated 6 Apr 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 1 investigation naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: Certain vehicles fail to conform to the requirements specified in federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the driver air bag module may not have been properly assembled.
Consequence: This condition may prevent the driver air bag from properly deploying and reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace your driver air bag module free of charge. The recall began on november 20, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Filed by FORD MOTOR COMPANY (manufacturer campaign 07C19).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2008 Ford Focus (black) against all 2008 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2008 | Focus line | All 2008 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 170.6 | 190.7 | 142.9 |
| Structure | 130.4 | 45 | 47.5 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 83.6 | 39 | 14.4 |
| Air Bags | 73.6 | 41.6 | 160.2 |
| Suspension | 73.6 | 44.4 | 30.7 |
| Tires | 66.9 | 18.7 | 14.3 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 51 | 170.6 | 190.7 | 142.9 |
| Structure | 39 | 130.4 | 45 | 47.5 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 25 | 83.6 | 39 | 14.4 |
| Air Bags | 22 | 73.6 | 41.6 | 160.2 |
| Suspension | 22 | 73.6 | 44.4 | 30.7 |
| Tires | 20 | 66.9 | 18.7 | 14.3 |
| Power Train | 19 | 63.5 | 159.3 | 75.7 |
| Wheels | 13 | 43.5 | 15.5 | 11 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 43.5 | 40.7 | 41.8 |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 43.5 | 39.3 | 34.8 |
| Engine | 12 | 40.1 | 48 | 62.5 |
| Steering | 11 | 36.8 | 74.8 | 83.4 |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 26.8 | 10.8 | 9.5 |
| Visibility | 6 | 20.1 | 15.7 | 17.5 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 20.1 | 50.3 | 26.6 |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 20.1 | 6.4 | 41.5 |
| Seats | 3 | 10 | 6.2 | 9 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 | 10 | 4.7 | 11.7 |
| Equipment | 2 | 6.7 | 11 | 6.8 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 6.7 | 43.5 | 33.2 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 | 6.7 | 27.1 | 30.6 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 3.3 | 41.8 | 21.8 |
222 unique complaints, 299 component mentions; 17 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PE08060 | Preliminary evaluation | TIRE VALVE CRACKING | tires:valve | 14 Oct 2008 | 9 Apr 2009 | — |
Other Ford Focus model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 NHTSA | 0 | 11 | — |
| 2000 | 11 | 3,678 | 3,789,813 |
| 2001 | 7 | 1,752 | 3,185,855 |
| 2002 | 1 | 932 | 589,932 |
| 2003 | 1 | 970 | 589,932 |
| 2004 | 1 | 376 | 589,932 |
| 2005 | 1 | 427 | 589,932 |
| 2006 | 0 | 194 | — |
| 2007 | 0 | 364 | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 222 | 45 |
| 2009 | 0 | 211 | — |
| 2010 | 0 | 256 | — |
| 2011 | 0 | 97 | — |
| 2012 | 7 | 2,600 | 5,938,190 |
| 2013 | 11 | 1,324 | 6,126,509 |
| 2014 | 12 | 1,271 | 6,169,878 |
| 2015 | 9 | 293 | 6,300,188 |
| 2016 | 10 | 185 | 1,876,765 |
| 2017 | 10 | 71 | 1,929,573 |
| 2018 | 7 | 32 | 1,807,349 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All Ford Focus model years · Ford: 201 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2008 Ford Focus have?
1 NHTSA recall campaign name this model year; the most recent, 07V541000, was reported to NHTSA on 21 Nov 2007 and concerns air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Across all model years the Ford Focus line has 36 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2008 Ford Focus?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 1 action naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2008 Ford Focus complain about most?
Electrical System: 51 of 299 component mentions (170.6 per 1,000). Next is structure with 39. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.